Militant sentenced to death for U.S. consulate bombings in Karachi

Karachi, Mar. 5 : A Karachi anti-terrorism court today convicted and sentenced to death a militant involved in a suicide bombing that killed an American diplomat and three Pakistanis on March 2, 2006.

David Foy and three Pakistanis died when an attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into his car on March 2, 2006, near the US Consulate in Karachi.

The following August, police arrested two suspects - Anwarul Haq and Usman Ghani - and said they had admitted orchestrating the attack. Prosecutors have alleged that Haq accompanied the bomber to the scene.

At a closed-door hearing on Wednesday, the anti-terrorism court sentenced Haq to death on charges including murder and committing an act of terrorism, news reports quoted government prosecutor Naimatullah Randhawa as saying outside the court.

Haq's lawyer Mohammed Farooq said he would appeal against his client's conviction.

Randhawa was acquitted for lack of evidence.

The court had already completed its examination of the evidence and announced only the verdict and sentencing on Wednesday. Neither of the two men appeared.

The bombing wounded about 50 other people and came a day before President George W Bush began an official visit to Pakistan.

ANI